xPLMediaNet xPL Schema Development

["Tony Tofts" <tony@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

I guess this is aimed mainly at Mal, but if anyone has any suggestions
please feel free to comment!

I'm having trouble getting my head around how the xPL messages will be
structured with the dynamic sources in xplmedianet

E.g. It's quite feasible to have more than 1 source providing tracks by
Artist

In this scenario the client unit/web interface have no problem as they know
explicitly which source they are requesting an Artist from

But, how will the xpl message be interpreted

Xplrionet would currently queue all artist tracks with extended=artist
blondie

But in the above scenario we have a problem!

Do we:

A) get the xpl code to say, well I have 2 sources that provide artist
information - I'll ask both

B) explicitly have to specify a source e.g. extended=source music,
extended=artist blondie

'A' seems like a good idea, but it's not I think. This is due to the fact
that the 2 (or more) sources may provide incompatible music sources (e.g. 1
may supply filenames, the other may be some sort of stream)

Please note that as streams never end it's not appropriate to queue them
like tracks, hence the issue with 'A'

I think 'B' (or a variant) is the only way to go, with the option that if a
source isn't specified then choose the first match

My suggestion is that, like xplrionet, the xpl schema is a script of
commands e.g.

Source=music <-- specify current source

Artist=blondie <-- get artist blondie from music

Volume=10 <-- set volume

Command=play <-- start playing

Album=my album <-- queue an album from same source

Source=other <-- change source

Artist=mad% <-- queue all artists starting mad

My first thoughts for the command schema (needs expanding) for music are:

Command=play
Command=stop
Command=pause
Command=skip
Command=back
Command=mute and mute on/off
Command=random and random on/off
Command=clear
Command=reboot
Command=power on/off
Source=n
Artist=<%>n<%>
Album=<%>n<%>
Genre=<%>n<%>
Track=<%>n<%> (streams would be controlled as tracks)
Playlist=<%>n<%>
Query=<%>n<%>
Volume=n and +/-n and >/<n
Balance=n and +/-n and >/<n
Treble=n and +/-n and >/<n
Pitch=n and +/-n and >/<n
Loundness=on/off and n and +/-n and >/<n
Scan=<source>
Announce=<voice\>text
Announce=volume n
Announce=speed n
Annouce=scale n

Obviously some commands are only supported by some devices

Items of the type command= will produce an xpl-trig when actioned

When a track changes etc then an xpl-stat is generated

Status=power on / power off / playing / next
For Playing / Next it also supplies various details

Mal, I think you wanted some other stuff? Though I think these fall into
the
video section?

Thoughts/comments?

Many thanks
Tony



xPL Links: http://www.xplproject.org.uk http://www.xplhal.com http://www.xpl.myby.co.uk
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